The Trams to Newhaven project took home the prize in the 鈥楩uture Places鈥� category at the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards in London earlier this week (12 June).
The project received the for ‘showcasing courage and humility in learning from past challenges’ with particular focus on the collaboration between the public and private sector, support for businesses, linking residents in disadvantaged areas to economic opportunities, and stimulating growth and investment along the route.
This comes as the wider Edinburgh Trams network saw a last weekend during Taylor Swift’s three nights of performances at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.
The Trams to Newhaven project previously won the Infrastructure or Capital Project Award at the Go Excellence in Public Procurement Awards, and the Project of the Year at the Global Light Rail Awards in 2023.
Since the Edinburgh Trams network was launched in 2014 it has
Passenger services for Trams to Newhaven have been operational since June 2023, with over
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Scott Arthur said:
I was absolutely delighted and incredibly proud to see the Trams to Newhaven project recognised at the LGC Awards. This, along with the numerous other awards the project has won, is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our in-house council team and partners.
The successful completion of the project last year has already delivered huge economic, social, and environmental benefits to Leith, north Edinburgh and to the city as a whole – demonstrating the value and opportunities the trams bring to the city and our residents. That’s why it makes such good sense for us to be looking at expanding the network further to the north and south of the city.
It’s worth remembering that, in the ten years since the original line between Edinburgh Airport and York Place was built, the tram service has flourished to become a hugely successful transport route for thousands of residents and visitors each day. You need look no further than the weekend just past for evidence of that, with almost a quarter of a million ‘Swifties’ making use of the service in just three days.
The tram, alongside our award-winning Lothian Buses and active travel networks, remains key to creating a better connected, environmentally friendly and sustainable city for all – and to meeting our ambitious 2030 climate targets.